Domestic clothes drying machines typically comprise a rotating steel dryer drum in which clothes are tumbled as warm air is circulated through the dryer drum drying the clothes. As the articles of clothing tumble within the dryer drum, the articles fall into contact with the drum wall. Heavier articles, metal buttons and loose coins have a tendency to impact the dryer drum and create noise. There is a need to reduce the noise created by clothes and other articles tumbling within the dryer drum.
To compensate or reduce the noise created by articles tumbling in the dryer drum, the use of a plastic drum has been suggested by Japanese patent application 7,080,193 published Mar. 28, 1995 to Sanyo Electric. Also Japanese patent applications 7,275,582 published Oct. 24, 1995 in the name of Nippon Kentetsu Co. and Japanese patent application 8,000,898 published Jan. 9, 1996 in the name of Hitachi Ltd. both teach the use of a plastic or foam sheet of plastic attached to be inside peripheral wall of the dryer drum to reduce noise. The problem with these dryers is that the plastic chosen will be subjected to high temperatures during drying and may be difficult to assemble inside the drum thereby significantly increasing the cost the dryer to the consumer.
In another attempt to reduce noise created by articles tumbling within a clothes dryer, Japanese patent application 2,023,999 published Jan. 28, 1990 teaches the use of a rotary dryer drum comprising a multi-layer metal plate with a plastic resin material positioned between the metallic plates. While this solution does not involve the use of a plastic sheet positioned in the inside of the dryer drum wall, the use of a laminated dryer drum comprising two steel plates having to be secured together with a resin material between the dryer drums, would be a difficult drum structure to manufacture increasing cost in the clothes dryer consumer.
Accordingly, there is a need for a clothes dryer having improved noise insulation characteristics which requires minimum alteration of existing dryer drum construction thereby adding relatively little additional cost to the clothes dryer.